Thread: Noob with a stone that he has no idea what it is. Please help!!

Hello, I'm new here and have never honed a razor. I know almost nothing about sharpening stones. I have gotten great results in the past on the knives that I have sharpened using a 2 stone technique. I had lost both of these stones during multiple moves, but last night I found my finishing stone. I don't know what it is that I have, nor do I know if I can / should use it on a razor. Here are a few pictures of the stone:

I can't read Japanese but I do see a 6.000 on the box. That may mean that it is a 6,000 grit stone but I'm not sure about that. I understand that you are supposed to use at least and 8,000 grit stone for finishing a razor so I'm not sure this stone will be useful. Please advise. Thanks guys for all your help.

That is indeed 6000 Grit King waterstone.
It is a stone of decent quality, but I would not use that as a finisher.
At least 8ooo would be what I would use to get a comfortable shave off of.

Hi Grover09
Only new to straight razors myself,i'd say that is a 6,000 grit stone and good for getting a good edge on a knife but just a starter for the straight before the 8,000 than the 10,000 or 12,000. cheers

Hey Grover,

I think this stone would probably be fine enough if you wanted to stop there. Most would express a preference for something higher grit for your finisher though. Check out epd's thread entitled "Beginners, the 1k shave" . We think we definitively showed that you can shave just fine off of anything as low as 1k grit. Now none of us are going to be doing that regularly, but it did work, and the shaves were more than acceptable. Check out Gssixgunns thread entitled "Dedicated bevel setting" though, and make bevel setting your first and foremost goal in life. Finishers really aren't all that exciting if you haven't maxed out your 1k stone. JMHO. HTH.

Thanks guys for all your responses. It sounds like I could shave off this stone but I'm going to want to go finer then 6k. I will have to pick up a 1k and see how goo of an edge i can get with it first.

Originally Posted by Grover09

Thanks guys for all your responses. It sounds like I could shave off this stone but I'm going to want to go finer then 6k. I will have to pick up a 1k and see how goo of an edge i can get with it first.

You hit the key word dead on "WANT" A king 1k and 6k and some imagination and yield fine shaves... Kinda depends on what you are jumping in the sport for, some here are just looking for Economy and Enviromental reasons and are not chasing the ultimate in comfort like others... If the shave is Clean Close and Comfortable that is what counts some find that at 30k and others much lower

The reason the 8k level is mentioned so often is the stones themselves, it is hard to find one that "Polishes" more than cuts at lower than that level... In most brands that is about the level that the actions switch places

Thanks I think when it comes time I will get a 1K and attempt to hone my blade with the 1K - 6K combo and see how It feels. I have a full beard (at least for now) and only need to trim it on my cheeks and neck so i don't have to worry about my chin or jaw line, which were always a point of irritation with my previous shaving methods.

Any suggestions on brands of 1K stones? I've heard that norton stones are pretty good. I'm not looking to spend a bunch of money on stones (at least not yest ).

When it comes to Wetshaving and particularly with a straight razor, I am looking for comfort and an experience that makes me want my beard to grow faster so I can shave more. Straight Razor Shaving has become a pleasure for me that replaced the chore of having to shave everyday. That said, there are a lot of things discussed here these days that are "Can Do" methods, approaches and tools. I have never had a comfortable shave off a 1K or 4K or 6K stone. They do not produce great results, but they can work and some results can be acceptable for some people. There is still a learning curve to honing, so whatever you pick up will take you at least a couple weeks to start to positive results. Do no be deceived that because you can sharpen a knife, you will simply be able to sharpen a straight razor first time out. If you want close, comfortable, sticky smooth shaves that will enable you to fully appreciate this experience and art, I would recommend at minimum going up to a decent 8K stone and in most cases finding a nice finisher that you can learn to use.

On 1K stones, I normally recommend the Chosera 1K. The Norton 1K is pretty abrasive. The Chosera cuts very well, but won't wear into the spine as fast as the Norton in my opinion.

Have fun